Fabric treating element



April 30, 1940.' c, fH o 2,199,157

FABRIC TREATING ELEMENT Filed May 17, 1957 lNV ENTOR W CHARLES EHAMILTONBY M Patented Apr. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT orr es memo TREATINGELEMENT Application May 17, 1937, Serial No. 143,084

Claims. (01. 38-65) This invention relates to improvements in fabrictreating elements and more particularly to an element having a paddedarea over which the fabric is subjected to treatment involving fluidflow, and a novel arrangement of a sealing strip about the periphery ofthe padded area adapted to resist fluid flow therethrough.

My invention is particularly adapted to use in pressing machinesinvolving a pair of coacting pressing platens wherein one of the platensis provided with a padded area through which a fluid flow is created intreating the garment or fabric between the platens. Around the paddingof such an element I provide a novel strip of sealing material resistantto fluid flow so that a garment or fabric lying on the padded area issubjected to fluid flow through it and the escape of fluid about theperiphery of the padding is prevented or greatly restricted. I

The action of the sealing strip as described in the preceding paragraphis additionally enhanced if the fluid flow occurs when the pressingelements are engaged, at, which time the sealing strip is squeezedbetween the pressing elements, thus providing additional restriction toleakage of fluid, about the periphery of the padded area.

My invention includes the novel arrangement of a pressing element orother fabric treating element, such as a steam table, as shown anddescribed in the drawing and specification and the essential featureswill be summarized in the claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a member of a pressing machine,parts being broken away to show the construction of the various layers;Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a fragmental end elevation of a pair of coacting pressingmembers equipped with my improved pressing element, parts thereof beingshown in section; while Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are fragmental detail viewsshowing modifications of the sealing strip.

In steam tables and pressing machines, fabric of various sorts and outergarments, such as suits, overcoats and the like, are treated withvarious fluids, including steam and air, in connection with a pressingor ironing of the fabric or a treating of the fabric surface. Forexample, in the pressing of mens suits of the usual wool fabric, the

o pressing head is brought down nearly in contact with the garment onthe pressing bed and a head steaming device is operated to steam thegarment. This may be followed by a patting application of pressure withintermittent application of steam from the head and this may be followedby a steady application of pressure dependent. upon the particular typeof material. In combination with such an application of pressure orafter the head is raised, a vacuum device in the pressing bed may beoperatedto draw steam and moisture out of the garment or fabric. Intreating other types of fabric of a soft nature, such as camel's haircloth, thepress head is not used and in such cases the garment is placedon the bed or table and steam may be applied to it, possibly upwardlythrough the supporting table. This may be followed by a smoothingoperation and by a vacuum operation which draws the moisture from thematerial down through the supporting table. In all of these applicationsand others which will occur to one skilled in this art, I provide novelmeans to preventthe steam, air or other treating fluid from passinglaterally through the edges of the padding so as to increase theeffectiveness of the fluid acting upon the fabric resting on the paddingsurface.

I have shown my invention as applied to the pressing bed ll! of apressing machine having a coacting head II and provided with means, notshown, for causing pressing engagement between the members l0 and ii.The pressing head H may be hollow and provided with perforations i2through which steam supplied from a suitable source and controlled bythe manually operated .valve l3 may be ejected upon the garment orresting upon the pressing surface or creating a current of airdownwardly therethrough. It will be obvious, of course, that air underpressure might be blown outwardly through the perforations II or othertreating fluids might be used if desired.

In the present embodiment the major portion of the area of the member I0is provided with spring padding 'i'i whichmay be covered by a layer ofasbestos cloth l8, a layer of knit padding l9 and a layer of cantonflannel 2|], all of which is covered by the usual cover cloth 2|; I soarrange the spring padding or other compressible padding covering themajor portion of the pressing area to provide a margin thereabout forreelements but is not very resilient.

tending uninterrupted about the periphery of the padding l1 and inclosedwith the padding in the superimposed layers of cover material.

Wherever in the specification and claims I have used the term springpadding," I refer to a layer of padding for a pressing member composedof a number of relatively small, short, helical springs set sufllcientlyclose together over a pressing surface to forms. substantially uniformyielding support for material to be pressed, ironed or treated.

If fabric is treated lying upon the surface 2| without the coaction ofthe member ll, it is obvious that fluid flow about the periphery of thepadding is resisted and substantially prevented by the strip 22 uponwhich are superimposed the close lying layers of cover material, whereasfluid flow through the central or padded portion of the surface isrelatively less restricted and flow through the treated fabric isenhanced.

I so arrange the sealing strip 22 with reference to the padding I! thatwhen the pressing members are engaged as shown in Fig. 3, the strip 22is squeezed by the action of the engaged pressing members so as toadditionally seal the periphery of the padding. The padding in any caseis pervious to fluid flow and for pressing operations must also becompressible. The spring padding I1 is of course very readilycompressible and while the asbestos rope 22 is not resilient yet it issufliciently compressible to accommodate itself to the pressing actionas shown in Fig. 3.

Other materials which might be used for the sealing strip in place ofthe asbestos rope 22 are shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. Fig. 4 represents astrip of felt or other similar material. This of course would becompressible so as to accommodate itself to pressure between thepressing Fig. 5 is a rubber strip which might be solid but in the formshown is tubular, adding to the compressibility and resilience of thestrip. Fig. 6 is a metallic strip bent to provide resiliency in thedirection of pressing action.

Of all the materials described, I prefer the asbestos rope because itresists rapid deterioration when subjected to heat and moisture as isusual in these operations. The felt strip is fairly resistant to bothheat and moisture. The rubber strip is resistant to moisture butdeteriorates somewhat under the influence of heat. The metal strip isresistant of course to both heat and moisture but is somewhat moreexpensive and diflicult to construct.

It will be obvious that the strip 22 of whatever form, when suppliedaround the periphery of an area provided with the spring padding,performs the additional function of protecting the cover materials fromthe abrr sive action generally encountered at the edges of springpadding material. In other words the strip 22 is in contact with thelayers of cover material at the edges of the member Ill so that thecover materials do not rub against the spring padding.

What I claim is:

1. A fabric treating element comprising a compressible padding and aseparate substantially uninterrupted strip of fluid-sealing materialhaving compressibility at least equal to that of said padding andextending entirely around said padding and having its top edgesubstantially level with the top of said padding and said strip beinglocated close to the periphery of said padding.

2. A fabric treating element as in claim 1 wherein said separate stripis of asbestos.

3. A fabric treating element as in claim 1 wherein said separate stripis of rubber.

4. A fabric treating element as in claim 1 wherein said separate stripis of felt.

5. A padded pressing element adapted for use with a coacting element ina pressing'operation involving fluid flow in the padding of said elementcomprising spring padding, and a separate strip of compressible materialextending substantially uninterruptedly around and close to theperiphery of said padding, the top of said strip being substantiallyeven with the top of said padding at its periphery so as to becompressed between said elements in a pressing operation, and said stripbeing adapted to accommodate itself to pressure between the elements andadapted to substantially seal said padding against fluid leakage aboutits periphery.

CHARLES E. HAMILTON.

